Fact Check: Has India Improved In Global Indices As Claimed By The Govt? Claims Vs Facts

An infographic by the government claims that India improved its ranking on many global indices during the BJP rule. We fact check these claims.

On the occasion of the 3rd anniversary of the Narendra Modi led BJP government taking charge at the center, the Central Government has launched a dedicated website to highlight the achievements of these 3 years. One such infographic highlights India’s standing in various global indices and how India’s rank has improved during the BJP rule. This is a fact check on these claims.

This is a yearly index published by the World Economic Forum. The WEF defines competitiveness as the set of institutions, policies, and factors that determine the level of productivity of a country. The report also says that a more competitive economy is one that is likely to grow faster over time.

The infographic also claims that India’s jump by 16 spots is the highest leap by any country in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index 2016.

The claim that India climbed 16 spots is true.It is also true that this is the highest leap by any country in the 2016 rankings. The next biggest leap was by Albania that climbed 13 spots. Jamaica was next with a leap of 11 spots. This is also India’s best ranking in the recent years.

The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published by WEF in 2007. Till 2009, this was a yearly report. After 2009, the list is being published once every two years. As per WEF, the index is a measurement of the factors that make it attractive to develop business in the travel and tourism industry of individual countries, rather than a measure of a country attractiveness as a tourist destination.

It is true that India climbed 12 spots to 40th rank in the 2017 rankings. India’s leap was second only to Azerbaijan that climbed by 13 spots. This is also India’s best rank ever in this list.

The Logistics Performance Index is benchmarking tool created to help countries identify the challenges and opportunities they face in their performance on trade logistics and what they can do to improve their performance. The LPI consists of both qualitative and quantitative measures and helps build profiles of logistics friendliness for these countries. The index was first published in 2007 and then is being published every 2 years since 2010.

It is true that India climbed 19 spots to 35th rank in the LPI 2016. India’s rank was 39 in 2007, 47 in 2010, 46 in 2012 and 54 in 2014. It has to be noted that India’s rank of 54 in 2014 was its worst ever rank in this list.

The Global Innovation Index was launched by INSEAD in 2007 and is co-published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The index primarily deals with improving the journey towards a better way to measure and understand innovation and with identifying targeted policies and good practices that foster innovation.

While India did climb 15 spots to 66th rank in the 2016 index, India’s worst ever ranking of 81 was in 2015, also during the BJP’s rule. India is now back to its 2013 ranking of 66.

Transparency International (TI) publishes the annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) since 1996, ranking countries by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys.

The WEF Gender Gap Index ranks countries according to calculated gender gaps. The assumption is that women are strictly disadvantaged compared to men and as such, only measures where women are traditionally disadvantaged to men are used. The index is being published since 2006.

It is true that India has climbed 21 spots to 87th rank in the 2016 index. This is only the 2nd occasion when India was ranked below 100 since 2006. In 2006, India’s ranking was 98. India continues to score poorly on the sub-indices of Economic Participation & Opportunity, Educational Attainment and Health & Survival. India’s 87th rank is thanks to its 9th rank in the Political empowerment sub-index.

Claim 7: Climbed to 8th rank in FDI Confidence Index

The Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index is published by A.T. Kearney since 1998. It examines the overarching trends in FDI. The top 25 ranking is a forward-looking analysis of how political, economic, and regulatory changes will likely affect countries’ FDI inflows in the coming years.

Partner Story

This Mother’s Day, Let Us Make A Real Difference In Our Mother’s Life

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln

Mothers play a crucial role in our lives. Since we were little, they held our hands, acting as our guide into the world. They took care of all our needs – from teaching us how to hold a spoon, cooking delicious meals for us, dropping us to school and sitting with us while we struggled with our math homework – mothers have been there through thick and thin.

On the special occasion of Mother’s Day, Friends Adult Diapers has a beautiful message for each of us – treat your mother the way she has treated you all her life.

It was our mothers who stayed up all night taking care of us when we fell sick; it was her who help us with our homework. This Mother’s Day, remember to take care and support your mother the way she took care of you all these years.

The minds and bodies of our ageing parents dwindle as they grow even older, and somewhere in the incoherence of understanding their thoughts, children lose patience. They spend less and less time with their parents and hire others to look after them. A study by HelpAge India gives accounts of the elderly, most of whom testify to verbal abuse, neglect and disrespect by their children. Old people rely on their children for both emotional and financial support but, often times are not given the needed care.

There is little difference in how we were as toddlers and how parents are as senior citizens. They couldn’t understand the gibber we uttered then, yet taught us different languages. We were financially dependent on them till at least 18 years of age yet, they never said no to giving us pocket money. Why cannot we echo the same patience our parents showed for so many years?

Our parents have an unconditional love for us. They made sure all our needs are cared for and we never feel alone. When we grow up and our parents enter old age, they require the same care and affection. They would be delighted if we spent time with them after classes or work, make tea or cook for them and also help them with household chores when they have too many things at hand.

It is our responsibility to stand with our parents when they are weak; it is our responsibility to cook for them when they are too tired, and it is our responsibility to take care of them when they fall sick.

Mother’s Day is a celebration in honour of motherhood, a tribute to maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society. Let us make a real difference by showing how much we truly care for our mothers.

Friends Adult Diapers has taken a wonderful initiative in this regard. The most precious gift for a mother is her child. So why not take this as an opportunity to shower her with the same love? After all, she deserves it for being with you through every obstacle and every hardship that you faced.